Kasabian

KASABIAN

THEY “BUTCHER” MUSIC AND PLAN TO SLAY AMERICA WITH THEIR TRANS-ROOTED EURO-SOUND

by Ernie Thomas

Signed worldwide to RCA Records, Kasabian, have already racked up two Top 10 singles in their native England with the songs “Club Foot” and “Processed Beats” from their self-titled debut album.

Released in the U.K. in September where it was met with heaping praise from the Euro-Beat friendly media, Kasabian, shipped ton these shores in March.

Many critics likened Kasabian’s music to that of fellow Brit-rockers, Oasis, but guitarist/keyboardist Sergio Pizzorno largely disagrees with the comparison. “We mentioned that we liked Oasis once and suddenly we’re being compared,” mused Pizzorno.

The sound created by Pizzorno, Chris Edwards (bass), Christopher Karloff (guitar/keyboards) and vocalist Tom Meighan, is largely electronica/trance-rooted and synthesizer-driven. That said, it is important to note that theirs is not Depeche Mode-esque, but rather haunting, grooving tunes that makes use of guitar and does rock a bit.

Sergio Pizzorno revealed that RCA is planning to duplicate their marketing strategy on this side of the Big Pond. “Club Foot” had been released in advance to radio stations in hope of creating a buzz before the album hits retail.

“I think we’re doing okay with the song,” shrugged Pizzorno, who is clearly too busy enjoying his first visit to The Colonies, to worry about what radio is doing.

“I’m loving this experience. This is the most wonderful country. They never show you [overseas nations] the REAL America. They show you Disneyland and hamburgers and that’s it. But I’m here in Rhode Island right now talking with you and looking out over a beautiful lake. This is an amazing country –– the beaches, the ports, the West, the industrial towns –– it’s all so diverse. We [in Europe] never get to see the real America. We never get to see the kind of things I’ve seen being over here and what I’m sure I will see as we travel to the different cities.”

As for bringing their music over here for consumption by the American public, Pizzorno had this to say –– “We don’t have any expectations. We’re just in a band. We’re just going to get on stage and play our music and if you like it, then cool, and if you don’t....well....whatever!”

As one may expect, the band’s name was inspired by the Charles Manson Family getaway driver, Linda Kasabian.

Pizzorno explained that there was no particular fascination with Charles Manson or his followers, only that it sounded like a cool band name.

“We was just reading a book [about Charles Manson] and the name Kasabian just sort of jumped out at us,” he said. “We never figured to make it this far as a band and that one day we’d have to explain it.”

Coincidentally, Kasabian is also the Armenian word for “butcher”, which is fitting for a band who makes their music largely by cutting up and pasting sound files. “Butcher” is a strong word, noted the guitarist.

“We record things and then me and Chris Karloff sit down and edit it all together by cutting and pasting on a computer,” noted Pizzorno of their self-produced debut CD. “Working on a computer makes everything a lot easier.”

While on the subject of “Family”, the self-taught musician noted, “No one in my family cares a lick about music, which I find incredible. I started playing guitar about seven years ago, about the time we started the band. God was smiling down one day, pointed at me and said -- ‘He can play guitar!’ –– and I just picked up on it.”

The Beatles’ Revolver was an album that most impacted the late-blooming rocker as a child. “That’s just a magnificent album,” he noted, adding that along with the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones and even Led Zeppelin have been a big influence on the band. “We’re all very big fans of the old guard,” he said.

Much has been written by the European media about Kasabian’s “political views”. Pizzorno, writes all of the band’s lyrics that frontman/vocalist Tom Meighan sings, and denies that there is any political agenda with their music.

“We just make rock ‘n’ roll music,” he stressed. “I’m not out to change the world. If I wanted to do that, I’d have been a politician. Our music is more a social thing. It’s about people, it’s about your friends and your family, and about broadening your own life. It’s not about changing the world. Everyone is about dumbing people down and keeping people down. Not us. Our music inspires you to get out and do something with your life.”

“We’re mates from school. We’ve been together as a band for seven years now, but more importantly, we’ve been friends a long time,” said Pizzorno. “We didn’t form a band because we were good musicians, we were just friends and it was a way to have some fun together.”

The group is soon to officially become a quintet. Drummer Ian Matthews played on most of the album tracks as a session musician and has been touring with the band . “We expect Ian will officially join the band after this tour finishes,” noted Pizzorno. “He’s a great drummer and a real mate!

For more information on the band: www.kasabian.co.uk

Kasabian perform on May 24 at the Double Door in Chicago

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